The African Perspective Magazinehttp://www.tapmagonline.com
African stories from an African PerspectiveThu, 17 Aug 2017 22:51:13 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5103808446African Youths – Here’s the 1 thing they want the mosthttp://www.tapmagonline.com/african-youths/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/african-youths/#respondFri, 02 Jun 2017 02:23:49 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4186Today, I want to talk to you about the present generation of African youths. I want to speak to you about their needs, their challenges, and most of all, their deep aspirations for the future of their continent. Before I do so, however, it is important to put into perspective the unique and crucial social [...]

]]>Today, I want to talk to you about the present generation of African youths. I want to speak to you about their needs, their challenges, and most of all, their deep aspirations for the future of their continent. Before I do so, however, it is important to put into perspective the unique and crucial social space African youth currently occupy.

Africa has the fastest growing and most youthful population in the world; half of all Africans are under the age of 20. In fact, people under the age of 35 (youth) account for 68% of our continent’s population. It is imperative that we, as the older generation, as their leaders and elders, listen to the needs and desires of young people. We must do this while also asking ourselves deep questions about how to guide them toward their highest potential, as individuals and as citizens.

Of course, jobs are not the only thing young people want, but it seems that all their other needs, in one way or another, stem from the ability to gain employment that empowers them, provides stability, and allows them to feel that they are making meaningful social contributions to their communities and countries.

In my day-to-day work as the CEO/Editor of The African Perspective (TAP) Magazine, I have the privilege of interacting with young Africans from all walks of life, I meet and interact with young men and women from remote Kenya who like myself years ago are kick-starting their entrepreneurial journey; I also meet young Africans in the diaspora who are Harvard graduates etc. The most persistent question that I often ask them is what they want and need.Overwhelmingly, the answer is jobs.

Of course, jobs are not the only thing young people want, but it seems that all their other needs, in one way or another, stem from the ability to gain employment that empowers them, provides stability, and allows them to feel that they are making meaningful social contributions to their communities and countries.

Beyond the need for jobs, African youths have also expressed frustration with African leaders and politicians. Young people are tired of leaders whose integrity falters as soon as they assume social or political power. Our young people, like many people throughout the continent, are fed up with the cycles of nepotism, corruption and selfishness that plague our political systems and the people who control them. We cannot allow poor political leadership to irreparably damage the future generations and in effect the future of our beautiful continent. The youth are aware of the challenges they face, and it behooves our leaders to create the structures, policies and environments that give our young people the chance to thrive.

In the same way, the young people I speak to (especially those on the continent) also tell me they need the sort of educational systems that can equip them for the ever-changing world they find themselves in.

They need to enter institutions that have an eye toward the future, but are also capable of embracing the richness of history and knowledge we Africans possess. It seems that too many of our institutions, according to the youth; rely upon the programs and syllabi left to us by our colonizers more than five decades ago. Whether this is true in every sense, it can’t be denied that some gaps in consciousness and attitude exist.

For example, we have trained many young engineers, but still, today, the building of roads across the continent is often left to the Chinese.

So, whether our education system is that bad or not, it is clearly, a system we’ve lost faith in. Our young people want us to fix this; they require forms of education that reflect not only modern times, but the arc of the near future, so that we can know, without doubt, that young Africans are being educated in a way that prepares them to contribute to the health, wealth and sustainability of the communities from which they come. For example, we have trained many young engineers, but still, today, the building of roads across the continent is often left to the Chinese. Our universities have trained and equipped many doctors, but the wealthiest members of our societies run to London, Paris and more recently to India when they get sick.

Beyond this, African youths, as well as their elders, must be sure that their universities and colleges reflect the cultural knowledge and perspectives each of our countries is so endowed with, so that we can not only make world-leading contributions and innovations, but do so in a way that gives our own people faith in our academic, medical, and technological achievements, among others.

They need to enter institutions that have an eye toward the future, but are also capable of embracing the richness of history and knowledge we Africans possess. It seems that too many of our institutions, according to the youth; rely upon the programs and syllabi left to us by our colonizers more than five decades ago.

Further, according to The Brookings Institute, a Washington-based public policy organization, many African youths who do acquire work are not doing so in places that provide stable wages, skill development and job security. It may be that Africa is at a point where it is necessary to re-think its approach to employment.

The Brookings Institute suggests, among other ideas, a focus on manufacturing, they also argue for a renewed investment in tourism, agriculture, and projects that would allow young people in rural areas to acquire skills and work experience.

As I write this, I am well aware that none of these subjects–demographics, employment, and education–are new to many of you. Yet, I must bring them up again because young people (and the statistics) have made it clear that these are the essential challenges of this generation, and the ones to come. According to the World Bank, young people account for 60% of Africa’s unemployed population, and in some countries the number is even higher. In North Africa, for instance, the rate of youth unemployment is a staggering 30%.

As alarming as these statistics may be, these numbers do not include those in vulnerable employment, or those who are under-employed in informal sectors. The issue of youth unemployment is perhaps more pressing and more widespread than any single number can easily encapsulate. If we must stop the spread of terrorism especially in North Africa, we must create meaningful jobs for our youth.

Thankfully, despite the issues and challenges that currently face our continent, Africa’s uncommonly high proportion of young people can be a blessing, if we direct it properly

Whatever approach we adopt to create more jobs for African youths, it must be swift and effective, as we know that widespread unemployment leads to a large range of other issues, including increased poverty, war and crime rates, an inability to access education and healthcare, and a lower overall life expectancy.

Thankfully, despite the issues and challenges that currently face our continent, Africa’s uncommonly high proportion of young people can be a blessing, if we direct it properly. Perhaps no other continent is as rich with potential for new ideas, new ways of knowing, and new ways of addressing old problems. For that, I think, we have our young people to thank. Yet, we also know that power and potential—which our youth undoubtedly possess– requires attention, discipline and stewardship in order to reach full potency. If Africa is going to reach its highest strength as a continent, we each must bear the responsibility of paying careful attention to what the future will demand of us.

Our young people are speaking, and will continue to speak as their numbers grow. It is our duty to work with them, particularly in the areas of job-creation and education, in order that they may grow into a future that fully embraces their needs, abilities and ambitions.

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/african-youths/feed/04186African Union Day Statement by Njeri Riongehttp://www.tapmagonline.com/njeri-rionge-au-statement/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/njeri-rionge-au-statement/#respondSat, 20 May 2017 18:19:42 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4131Njeri Rionge, one of Africa’s most prominent serial entrepreneurs was on the 18th of May invited by the government of Ontario as a keynote speaker at a celebration event recognizing the 45th Anniversary of the African Union and the contributions made by African diaspora to the province of Ontario and Canada over the past 400 [...]

]]>Njeri Rionge, one of Africa’s most prominent serial entrepreneurs was on the 18th of May invited by the government of Ontario as a keynote speaker at a celebration event recognizing the 45th Anniversary of the African Union and the contributions made by African diaspora to the province of Ontario and Canada over the past 400 plus years. A fitting event just as Canada prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary of Confederation.

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/njeri-rionge-au-statement/feed/04131Kae Sun speaks Canary Ep, life in Montreal and a New Albumhttp://www.tapmagonline.com/kae-sun-canary-ep/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/kae-sun-canary-ep/#respondSun, 02 Apr 2017 20:12:48 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4111After a two-year hiatus, Ghanaian-Canadian songwriter and performer Kae Sun has returned to deliver a fresh batch of perspectives and sounds in the form of his latest release, the highly- venerated Canary EP. The project displays Kae Sun’s remarkable, but consistently well-refined range of musical abilities as a vocalist, lyricist. The skills Kae Sun boldly [...]

]]>After a two-year hiatus, Ghanaian-Canadian songwriter and performer Kae Sun has returned to deliver a fresh batch of perspectives and sounds in the form of his latest release, the highly- venerated Canary EP. The project displays Kae Sun’s remarkable, but consistently well-refined range of musical abilities as a vocalist, lyricist. The skills Kae Sun boldly displays on Canary are the result of weeks spent honing his craft and recording tracks in some of North America’s most inspiring cities, including Montreal, Toronto and New York.

Those who have had the chance to hear the EP will already be familiar with the impressive diversity of the project. The title track, Canary, is a slow but undeniably powerful ballad, while the up-tempo synergy struck between Kae Sun and Montreal-based artist Ariane Moffat makes Fix Up a joy to listen to.
TAP Magazine had the opportunity to talk to Kae Sun about Canary, the imminent release of his next full-length album, and his process as a songwriter.

TAP: What have you been up to over the last two years?

Kae Sun: I have been working on a longer album. The two-year break were a time when I was figuring out the situation around the album, including how it is going to be released, who was going to release etc. since I also had a change in management. At the same time, I also moved from Toronto to Montreal and so there were a lot of changes during this period.

TAP: How do you like Montreal thus far?

Kae Sun:I love it, Montreal is a very interesting city. I feel very comfortable here. Much more than I did in Toronto because I feel like there is a space for artists here that is hard to replicate in other cities.

TAP: What would you say is the difference between Montreal and Toronto in terms of the music industry?

Kae Sun: I can’t speak about the music industry specifically because I think that’s what I avoided the most in Toronto. The competitive nature in the music industry. I think what I’ve found in Montreal is a sense of community, of people exploring their work and not necessarily being competitive but rather, trying to be supportive. In this city, you’re able to work and focus on your craft. The fact that living costs are not as high as it is in Toronto helps as well. Furthermore, there is a bit of a relaxed attitude towards art, a little bit more than it is in Toronto. I prefer Montreal’s more laid back approach, it suits me well.

TAP: How did you pick which songs that would make this EP?

Kae Sun: As far as the songs that would make the EP, the three songs reflect what is coming on the album. I think these three songs tell a similar story and show the sound that one should expect on the album.

Well I have learnt that I am not the only perfectionist and that genuine connections are very important where artist collaboration is concerned. It is really important to work with people that you connect too as artist because its reflected in the work. The final thing would be that it is important to have fun! If it’s not fun, it’s a waste of time.

TAP: Of the three songs, which one speaks to you the most?

Kae Sun: They all do, at certain periods. I love them all but Canary is more reflective of the kind of song writing that I am trying to explore. That’s why it ended up being the title and the main single.

TAP: What is your creative process when it comes to song writing, recording etc.?

Kae Sun:For this set of songs, I tell stories that are sort of distilled through personal experience. So the experiences inform the content and the mood of the music but it’s not all necessarily autobiographical. It’s just glimpses and homage to my life.

TAP: Are there any artists that you listen to that have helped with your creative process?

Kae Sun: Oh Definitely! I listen to a ton of music, both for my own enjoyment and to explore my own craft. Am drawn especially to artists who write music, who are singer songwriters. So, anyone from the classics like Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Marley, and other contemporary artists who do that as well.

TAP: Did you learn something new about yourself or the music you want to make while creating Canary?

Kae Sun: I am learning all the time, especially in terms of song writing and approach. I have learned that it takes me a while to say exactly what I want to say in my music. For my process, I have learnt that it is important not to rush things as certain things may not be on time.

TAP: One of the artists that you’ve collaborated with in Montreal is Ariane Moffat. What was your experience working with her?

Kae Sun:It was an incredible experience and she is very generous with her music, time and expertise. Ariane is an incredibly talented musician! I can’t say this enough! I first came across her music years ago, when I was doing a show in Montreal and a friend of mine later invited me to a show of hers, so that’s how I discovered her music and I followed her for quite a bit. When I moved to Montreal, I had a discussion with my management as to who to collaborate with and I suggested to try and reach out to her and see if she would be interested. And so we did and she loved the music and she was interested. It was a very natural and beautiful experience. She emphasized connecting artist to artist and not to make things so much about business and all that. So, it was a great experience. I learnt a lot in that process.

Ghana’s high life music has a lot of guitar, and I grew up on the high life music listening to artist like Pat Thomas and Daddy Lumba. I also grew up on a bit of the Afrobeat as well but we had different types of dance from what Fela was doing in Nigeria

TAP: Talking about learning, what would you say are the top three things you’ve learnt from this experience?

Kae Sun: Well I have learnt that I am not the only perfectionist and that genuine connections are very important where artist collaboration is concerned. It is really important to work with people that you connect too as artist because its reflected in the work. The final thing would be that it is important to have fun! If it’s not fun, it’s a waste of time.

TAP: Is there anything from Ghana or from your cultural background that has had an influence on your music?

Kae Sun:Oh, absolutely. Ghana’s high life music has a lot of guitar, and I grew up on the high life music listening to artist like Pat Thomas and Daddy Lumba. I also grew up on a bit of the Afrobeat as well but we had different types of dance from what Fela was doing in Nigeria. There is a band called Sidi Sa from the 70s, they weren’t active when I was growing up but their music was played in our household, they were quite popular with my parents and grandparents and they have had an influence on me.

TAP: What’s next for Kae Sun? Full album and touring?

Kae Sun: The album! The album is the big thing that I am working on right now and I am really excited about it! I have been working on some of these songs for a while and I am excited to release them. There is also the performances that come with it. Starting in the summer I will have a few dates around Montreal and Toronto.

TAP: Do you have a specific date for when you will be releasing the album?

Kae Sun: I don’t have a specific date yet but it should be around fall. I will play a few shows in the summer and there will be a few singles released leading up to the album release. I am truly excited for people to hear the Ep and the album.

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/kae-sun-canary-ep/feed/04111How to Explore Africa’s Trillion-Dollar Agribusiness Opportunityhttp://www.tapmagonline.com/agriculture-in-africa/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/agriculture-in-africa/#respondMon, 13 Mar 2017 14:20:03 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4097When most people think of agriculture in Africa, images of poor and overworked farmers with crude tools on a rural farm easily come to mind. Many people on the continent, especially young Africans, still think that agribusiness is a poor man’s occupation. It’s no surprise that nowadays everybody wants a white-collar office job in the [...]

]]>When most people think of agriculture in Africa, images of poor and overworked farmers with crude tools on a rural farm easily come to mind. Many people on the continent, especially young Africans, still think that agribusiness is a poor man’s occupation. It’s no surprise that nowadays everybody wants a white-collar office job in the city. Agribusiness is hardly on anyone’s mind. But did you know that since 2009, investors from the USA, Europe, Middle East and Asia have been buying and leasing millions of hectares of African land for agribusiness purposes?
If you’re looking into the future, and have nursed a few thoughts about joining the agribusiness revolution on the African continent, this article will serve as a great introduction.

Many people may not know it but there’s a trend of serious land grabbing by foreign interests for African land. Did you also know that Foreign Direct Investment in African agribusiness, which was $10 billion in 2010, is projected to reach $45 billion by 2020?

With a current population of just over one billion people, and projected to reach 2.2 billion by 2050, it’s hardly surprising to see why investors around the world are drawn to Africa’s untapped agribusiness potential, both as a major producer and consumer market. That’s not all. According to the UN, Africa’s agribusiness industry will be worth $1 trillion by 2030! By all accounts, agribusiness will become the “new oil” on the continent.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly 50 percent of the world’s fertile, usable and uncultivated agricultural land. The size: over 200 million hectares. This is one of the biggest reasons the continent is widely considered to be the future breadbasket of the world. It is this abundance of unused land resources that gives Africa a strategic opportunity to feed the world.

Africa’s Trillion-Dollar Agribusiness Opportunity

If you’re looking into the future, and have nursed a few thoughts about joining the agribusiness revolution on the African continent, this article will serve as a great introduction.

I started my journey as an urban farmer in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital and one of Africa’s largest cities. Without any formal guides, I followed my entrepreneurial instincts and started an agribusiness operation in the outskirts of the city. The content of this article is based on my hard experience and on-the-ground observations of the workings in the agribusiness industry, and I’m sure you will find it very useful.

What exactly should you produce?

In my opinion, this should be the first and most important question on your mind before you get started with agribusiness on the continent. Do you want to grow crops or livestock? Do you want to produce heavily-consumed local foods, or imported and niche products?

This decision is very important because it largely determines your requirements for land, labour, equipment, seedlings, start up and working capital and several other requirements.

In my case, I opted to produce a heavily-consumed local crop – cassava. In my country, and in many parts of Africa, cassava and its derivatives are a staple, and a key source of edible starch in diets across the region.

You see, production isn’t really the problem with agribusiness in Africa. I have found that more than 50 percent of perishable agricultural produce never make it to the final consumer

It didn’t take me long to figure out why we worked so hard on the business, but earned so little. A lot of people, especially in the rural areas, have been cultivating crops like cassava for generations. Many of them use crude farming techniques and I found their production cost base to be significantly lower than mine. Unless my farming operations were fully mechanised such that I could produce at scale and lower cost, there was no way I could outcompete the smallholder farmers.

Being a seasonal crop, we all planted and harvested cassava around the same time; thereby suffering from market glut and very low prices.

And that’s how I stumbled on an uncomfortable truth.

You see, production isn’t really the problem with agribusiness in Africa. I have found that more than 50 percent of perishable agricultural produce never make it to the final consumer. Due to logistical challenges like bad road networks, poor preservation and storage, and a limited shelf life for most of these products, heaps of rotten tomatoes, cassava tubers, fruits and vegetables are common sights during the post-harvest period, and in many major markets on the continent.

Nigeria is Africa’s top producer of raw tomatoes, with an average annual production of 1.5 million tonnes. Ironically, the country is also the continent’s largest importer of tomato paste, spending up to $300 million on the product in 2013.

If you can differentiate your products through adding some extra value beyond the farm gate, that’s when you start to make progress in agribusiness on the continent.

A key aspect of adding value is processing perishable produce into stable products that have a longer shelf life.

I’ll give you an interesting example:

Nigeria is Africa’s top producer of raw tomatoes, with an average annual production of 1.5 million tonnes. Ironically, the country is also the continent’s largest importer of tomato paste, spending up to $300 million on the product in 2013.

While tomato farmers in Nigeria are faced with losses and poor sales due to logistical and perishability challenges, importers of tomato paste are the biggest winners.

This interesting gap in the market has brought in players like Tomato Jos and Erisco who have started processing locally-grown tomatoes into paste in Nigeria. In fact, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, could not resist the lure of this lucrative market as he set up a $20 million tomato processing facility in Northern Nigeria to explore this interesting market.

Do you see where this is going?

Yes, I know it sounds counterintuitive, but you should be thinking of a different kind of production if you’re considering agribusiness in Africa. You should be thinking of interesting ways to add value to the existing agricultural produce that can be sourced from local farmers.

The goal is to differentiate your product in ways that give you an advantage in a market that’s dominated by smallholder farmers.

If you must go into basic agricultural production – of crops or livestock – I strongly recommend that you focus on niche foods that may not be available locally, or target niche customers (like supermarket chains and export markets) that have high quality and service standards that limit the competition.

But if you must focus on heavily-consumed local foods like I did, you may have to invest in a mechanised production model that allows you to produce on a large scale at lower unit costs.

Beware of the learning curve: 5 Things To Look Out For

When you’re getting started with agribusiness in Africa, you need to ready yourself for a very steep learning curve. While the rewards can be attractive, agribusiness is by no means a get-rich-quick adventure.

Here are 5 important things you should always look out for:

Land, arguably the most important factor of production in agribusiness, can throw you some curved balls in Africa. Access to land and ownership tussles on land matters are common place on the continent. You don’t want to spend your hard cash acquiring acres of farm property only to find yourself in the middle of a dispute. In my case, I opted for a short 3-year lease. That way, I could limit my financial risk while testing the waters.

Of course, this strategy may backfire if you’re interested in producing perennial crops like oil palm or fruits that require significant land preparation and upfront investments.

Another thing to look out for is labour. Finding the right people with the right levels of skill, experience, commitment and motivation is a big challenge. In my case, we hired and fired several times that I lost count. This experience is not typical for all agro entrepreneurs, but you should anticipate this challenge all the same.

The third thing to look out for are the middlemen. Depending on your choice of product, you may have to deal with these people. They are very influential in the market and have access to extensive distribution systems and contacts. As a result of this ‘market power’, these guys know how to drive a hard bargain. As you learn the ropes of your agribusiness, these middlemen are a necessary evil. Over time, you will develop your own contacts and distribution networks and depend less on them.

The last point is to understand the rules. This especially applies if you’re planning to export products to foreign markets where the guidelines and standards for food products are very strict.

The fourth thing to look out for is working capital. You should never underestimate the amount of working capital you will need to sustain your agribusiness. A friend of mine has a fish farm and ran out of money to purchase feed for his fish stock which was going through a critical growth spurt. There were two reasons for this. First, he didn’t anticipate the sudden jump in market prices for fish feed. Second, he didn’t realize his fish stock would consume so much feed!

The last point is to understand the rules. This especially applies if you’re planning to export products to foreign markets where the guidelines and standards for food products are very strict. I find that many agro entrepreneurs are unaware of the basic principles, technicalities and requirements of export trade. Make sure you understand the rules before you risk your investment.

Are you ready for Africa’s new oil?

Africa’s agribusiness landscape presents a two-fold opportunity. In addition to its large and growing domestic market, Africa has the scarce resources and potential to produce enough food for itself and the world.

But this opportunity can only be unlocked by entrepreneurs who are keen to take on the challenge of this industry and find innovative ways to solve the continent’s agribusiness conundrum.

John-Paul Iwuoha is an impact entrepreneur, business strategist, and founder of Smallstarter Africa. He works with entrepreneurs and investors to start up and grow businesses in Africa. He is also the co-author of ‘101 Ways To Make Money in Africa’, the widely-acclaimed book which reveals several interesting business ideas, market opportunities, and inspiring entrepreneur success stories across Africa. For the latest updates on business and entrepreneurship across Africa, follow Smallstarter on Twitter, @smallstarters

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/agriculture-in-africa/feed/04097Shad – My African Storyhttp://www.tapmagonline.com/shad-my-african-story/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/shad-my-african-story/#respondSun, 05 Mar 2017 16:09:18 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4070My African story stretches across generations and is centuries long. My story is also deeply indebted to many countries and many people. However, it is impossible for you to understand my story without first understanding the complex lives my parents have lived. My African story is, of course, bound up in theirs. Each of my [...]

]]>My African story stretches across generations and is centuries long. My story is also deeply indebted to many countries and many people. However, it is impossible for you to understand my story without first understanding the complex lives my parents have lived. My African story is, of course, bound up in theirs.

Each of my parents was born in Rwanda, and they each share the story of being displaced from the land of their birth. By 1959, at a time when my parents were still children, each of them was a refugee. In the years before my parents met, they each lived in various countries throughout east and central Africa, sometimes in close proximities but never meeting. Eventually, they met in Uganda. This is where my (family) own African story begins, as that is where my parents were married and where my older sister was born. Due to insecurity there, my parents had to move yet again shortly thereafter, and I was born in Kenya in the summer of 1982.

My mother continuously instilled in me a sense that my life, my presence, and my personal integrity were all rooted in a history—a history of Rwandan people who were (and are) full of goodness, complexity, dignity and fortitude.

By the time I turned one year old, my parents were set on creating a new life for themselves, my older sister and me. They wanted to find a place where, finally, they could stay. A place where my sister and I could grow up with stability and opportunities that they never knew. They applied for residence in several countries, and Canada was one of the first to accept them. We settled in the small city of London, Ontario, Canada.

In the early 1980’s, London was a place not unlike most Canadian cities of that era: dominated by white bodies, white cultures and white ways of understanding the world. Growing up in such an environment meant that from a very young age, I was aware of being different from my peers, I was aware of the different set of expectations that regulated my life, and I was aware of being one of the very few Black faces in my city, my school, my group of friends. As I came of age in this environment and grew to understand London as a sort of home for myself, my parents helped me understand that while in Canada, my Blackness, Africanness, and Rwandan blood were all markers of difference, they were also sources of dignity, strength and goodness.

My mother continuously instilled in me a sense that my life, my presence, and my personal integrity were all rooted in a history—a history of Rwandan people who were (and are) full of goodness, complexity, dignity and fortitude.

So much hinges upon the word ‘home’. This word can mean so many different things. I suppose it is the complexity and importance of ‘home’ that makes it necessary for me to share my story as an African. I belong, rather undeniably, to a hyphenated identity. I am an African-Canadian.

She understood the myriad of messages and expectations young black boys are asked to wrestle with. That often, the lives of black boys are judged against the numerous stereotypes and perceptions that exist about what the embodiment of blackness should look like. Thankfully, my mother made me understand that it was not my job to live up to anyone’s stereotype or expectation–whether those expectations were positive or negative.

It was my mother who told me that I had every right and the ability to achieve great things, but likewise, I had every right to be average too. No matter what standard the world held me to, my only responsibility was to be my truest, most authentic self, and to be the sort of person who knew how to embody love, care and goodness.

In his own way, my father was and is a living testament to the humility, generosity of spirit, and social consciousness of which my mother spoke. My father founded the first African Association in the city of London, and later, the first Rwandan Associations in all of Canada.

For my father and mother, the need to extend their social and political impact became most intense in 1994, when the Rwandan Genocide began. When the violence erupted, I was only twelve years old, still a child, and mostly unable to reckon with the gruesome implications of that sort of deep unrest. Of the fact that my own extended family was being executed, massacred. My strongest memories of that time are of my parents huddling my sister and I into the van for trips to Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, where our family would participate in demonstrations and rallies, hoping to forge a global political momentum that would compel other nations toward intervention, and Rwanda toward peace.

Unfortunately, it took several months, or perhaps even several years in some instances, for the reality of the Rwandan Genocide to enter mainstream Canadian consciousness. When it did, my interactions with other young people my age began to shift. For the first time in my life, my peers were relating to me not just as a black person, or even as an African, but as a Rwandan. For them, I was someone with a tangible connection to the enormous suffering they heard and saw on television, and, in some ways, they wanted me to make sense of the conflict for them. Of course, as someone who was not even a teenager in April of 1994, the entire scope of the violence was too much for me to wrap my head around, and far, far too much for me to explain to people who were even further estranged from the tragedy than I was.

I am an African-Canadian. Fortunately, It seems that this label is taking on a clearer and more nuanced meaning. I am part of a generation, finally, where people are beginning to associate well-known faces and names to the identity of ‘African-Canadian’. Because of the successes of people like K’naan in music, or Masai Ujiri as an NBA General Manager, the title of African-Canadian no longer raises a question mark in the minds of most Canadians.

My classmates and friends knew that I was Rwandan, but before the atrocities of 1994, they had no concept of what being Rwandan meant, or even where the country was. It was impossible for me to fill the gap for them, and perhaps just as hard to fill the gaps in my own understanding as far as what my country had gone through.
The first time I visited Rwanda I was 16 years old. Even though I had never set foot on Rwandan soil before then, when I arrived, I felt an immediate visceral attachment to the country. It goes without saying that Rwanda doesn’t much resemble the modest Ontario city where I grew up. At the same time as my connection to Rwanda was being fortified by this encounter, going back to one’s homeland is always a complicated experience. I understood that there were ways that Rwanda would never fully be my home. I had spent nearly my entire life up to that point in London, Ontario. Despite its flaws and the challenges of growing up there as a black person, London was where my life was — my friends, my school, my home, etc. It was my home.

Nonetheless, I was struck by the beautiful landscape, dotted with faces that resembled my own. It was the first time that my blackness did not exist in contrast to any pervasive whiteness. Every day of my time in Rwanda, it seemed that my connection and literal kinship to the country was affirmed. People who were, for years, only far-away strangers, were now introducing themselves to me as relatives. Nearly all of my family still calls Rwanda home.

Photography & Video taken by: Pierrick Gacinya

So much hinges upon the word ‘home’. This word can mean so many different things. I suppose it is the complexity and importance of ‘home’ that makes it necessary for me to share my story as an African. I belong, rather undeniably, to a hyphenated identity. I am an African-Canadian. Fortunately, It seems that this label is taking on a clearer and more nuanced meaning. I am part of a generation, finally, where people are beginning to associate well-known faces and names to the identity of ‘African-Canadian’. Because of the successes of people like K’naan in music, or Masai Ujiri as an NBA General Manager, the title of African-Canadian no longer raises a question mark in the minds of most Canadians. Canadians are becoming aware of the range of experiences, perspectives, gifts and contributions that African-Canadians embody. For me, this is an exciting development, and one that might have been difficult to fathom when my family arrived in Canada in the early 1980’s.

I see myself as belonging not just to Rwanda or Canada, but to the entire planet. As debates about globalism rage across the West, I am one of many people for whom “country” and “home” could never be simple concepts. I can’t help but understand my African story as one bound up in a much larger story of global politics and power

If, one day, I have my own children, it will be important for me to pass on a sense that they come from a definite history, a definite place, a Rwanda that is living, breathing, and tangible. I will want my children to understand that they come from somewhere. I will want them to know that they are the product of good, dignified people. I will want them to be able to go to Rwanda and see a big part of their history and heritage. I will want them to know that they come from a country that is full of beauty and strength and pride. This is part of the inheritance that my parents have passed to me, and I want the same pride to be instilled, one day, in my children.

As for my own life and relationship to the world: I see myself as belonging not just to Rwanda or Canada, but to the entire planet. As debates about globalism rage across the West, I am one of many people for whom “country” and “home” could never be simple concepts. I can’t help but understand my African story as one bound up in a much larger story of global politics and power. One where some have gotten to stay while others have had to go. One that has created opportunities for some people at the expense of others.

So I hope for peace, freedom, and equality for the whole world. Even as my life and work continue to flourish here in Canada, I don’t want to see power continue to be unjustly concentrated in the West, and I hope I can contribute to Rwanda’s prosperity and peace. I want Rwanda and all of Africa to enjoy the freedom and quality of life they rightly deserve.

In my own small way, I hope to help the world by being an honest picture of the beauty and complexity that our world can create. I hope to live my life honestly and fully, and pass on everything I learn to the generations behind me.

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/shad-my-african-story/feed/04070Natural Hair 101 – How to care for & Grow your Natural Hairhttp://www.tapmagonline.com/natural-hair-101/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/natural-hair-101/#respondSat, 04 Mar 2017 19:19:09 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4056This is an article on “Natural Hair 101 – How to care for & Grow your Natural Hair” that was initially published in The African Perspective Magazine issues 8. It makes me really happy to know that there are so many sistas who are getting inspired by the natural hair movement and are looking to [...]

]]>This is an article on “Natural Hair 101 – How to care for & Grow your Natural Hair” that was initially published in The African Perspective Magazine issues 8.

It makes me really happy to know that there are so many sistas who are getting inspired by the natural hair movement and are looking to embrace themselves and love who they really are.

As you’ve probably seen on the internets, naturalistas refer to it as a natural hair journey because it is indeed a journey. For many of us, we grew up with chemically altered relaxed hair and essentially had no idea of any other way of wearing African hair. We aspired and yearned to have the straightest, silkiest of hair types. As we grow older, we start to realize the pain (literally) it takes for us to achieve this straight hair. We start to realize that there must be something wrong, it must not be naturally who we are. Well, this is what happened to me. At around 17yrs old, I started to question my identity, my individuality and what my hair said about that. My natural hair journey began.

Recently, I started to dedicate a good part of my life to inspiring and teaching others how to care for and grow their natural hair. This piece is aimed at assisting those who are seeking to begin their journeys as well as those who have already begun but may need a reminder of the true basics. We hope this will be a good starting point. Without further ado, let’s get into the beginner’s guide to taking care of, maintaining, and growing natural hair

TooAndALee

For many of us, we grew up with chemically altered relaxed hair and essentially had no idea of any other way of wearing African hair. We aspired and yearned to have the straightest, silkiest of hair types. As we grow older, we start to realize the pain (literally) it takes for us to achieve this straight hair.

BIG CHOP/TRANSITION

If you’re not already natural, there are two options for starting your journey. The first and easiest is yep, you guessed it! BIG CHOP! Chop all the relaxed hair off. This is also the bravest of the two options. This will leave you with a cute short hair style which naturalistas refer to as a TWA (Teeny-Weeny-Afro). The second option is to transition. This is a lengthier process where you basically stop relaxing and wait a couple of months to get natural hair growth beneath the relaxed hair. Once you get to the natural hair’s desired length, you then chop off only the relaxed hair. You’re probably thinking, but how do I walk around with two different hair textures? Well, what’s going to happen is that you’ll have to add braids, twists and the like to your hair. As you’ve already guessed, transitioning allows you to not deal with the shortest hair length after you chop. In the end, you’ll have more hair to work with and style. All a personal preference really.

KEEPING AN OPEN MIND

Okay so now that you’re natural. What I need you to know is that you’ve got to keep an open mind. You need to explore, learn, correct. This will be the phase of trial and error. Regard it as a new relationship with your mane. Just as you would a relationship with someone, find out its likes and dislikes. From what it likes to drink…eat…whether it appreciates being touched or not and how often!!

TooAndALee

HAIR PRODUCTS

Using the right hair products is very important in maintaining healthy hair. Even so, I still want to emphasize that brands and products should not be seen as the Holy Grail of natural hair but merely tools that assist you in achieving what you want. Natural hair is just as happy with natural food products such as organic virgin coconut oil, just as well as it can be with branded hair products – the right ones at that.

Naturalistas often become what we call product junkies. Essentially, every time another naturalista makes mention of any random hair product that is working sooo well for their hair, they jump on it without hesitation and hardly any research, ending up with buckets and buckets of hair product at home, and unhappy hair. I advise against this.

Natural hair is very stress free but the movement has also come with hectic consumerism that can bring on quite a lot of unnecessary anxiety. Just like Hair Type & Hair Porosity (check next paragraph), I urge that when trying new hair products, you stick with one brand’s collection for at least 4 weeks, that way you’ll be able to tell whether a product actually works or not. This will also aid you in hopefully pinpointing an ingredient your hair may not vibe with.

TooAndALee

HAIR TYPE & HAIR POROSITY

Hair Type describes the manner and pattern in which your hair strands grow. This goes from silky straight (1, 2A, 2B) to the moist kinky coily pattern (4C). Although a good thing to know, it’s not nearly as important as Hair Porosity in terms of how it will help you to care for your hair and maintain your styles.

Hair Porosity (low, medium, high) refers to your hair’s ability and readiness to absorb moisture and retain it. Natural hair needs a lot of moisture. It is very important to know your hair’s porosity as this allows you to choose which natural hair products are best suited for it. You’ll be surprised to know that some oils and creams will absorb into and work well for a low rather than high porosity, and that for some, the frequency of moisturizing will be different to others. We will delve deeper into porosity in the next issue, helping you find out which category your hair belongs. For now, visit this site for more info on hair type > Hair Typing for beginners

Hair MOISTURE

As just mentioned, moisture is very important for natural African hair. If it’s not properly moisturized, it will result in brittle hair that is prone to breakage, which means no growth. I know everyone is after that growth, length and volume! Leave-in conditioners, deep conditioners, and protein treatments are all important steps to consider which we will get into more detail later.

BYE-BYE COMB, HELLO FINGER DETANGLING

Our hair loves moisture and so if it’s touched and styled when dry, it needs to be done with caution otherwise it leads to breakage. This is especially true for the Type 4 category hair. In between washes, you need to avoid combing and detangling, in fact it needs to be left alone altogether! Ditch all your combs, invest in a Denman brush and a very wide tooth comb which you will only use when your hair is wet or damp.

As well, covering the HAIR with conditioner for slip, allowing you to easily and gently detangle the strands.That said, before you pick up the brush, you will want to detangle the hair with your fingers as much as possible, and then resort to the brush as a finish.

TooAndALee

STYLING & PROTECTIVE STYLING

While short, it’s going to be easy to style, until you reach that awkward length when hair is neither long, nor short. Consider a tapered cut, it allows you to still have short hair but gives you edge. A tapered cut also grows out beautifully giving the hair a long lasting dope heart shape. When you’ve passed the awkward stage, you can start introducing styling tools such as perm-rods, flexi-rod outs, curl-formers and the like.

SEEK INSPIRATION

Last but not least for this 101 edition, I advise you find a natural hair blogger/Vlogger to follow (e.g. @tooandalee) for inspiration, styling ideas, and tips. This keeps you in the loop, informed, and inspired. Also keep an eye out for our top 10 natural hair vloggers/bloggers in one of the upcoming issues.

There you have it good people. Do not be afraid, the natural hair journey may initially have its ups and downs but you’ve got to remember to make it fun, it’s all worth it and will consist 95% of ups in the end. One thing I can promise you is that if you’re not already natural, you are going to notice an immediate difference in the appearance of your hair. And even if you are a naturalista, if you make corrections based on the above, your hair is going to be at its healthiest, most vibrant state. You are going to see it smile.

Thuli is a young South African who has spent years abroad and recently moved back home to pursue her dreams. She enjoys and writes about travel, fashion and lifestyle issues. Check out her blog and follow her on IG @tooandalee

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/natural-hair-101/feed/04056Food & Race – An interview with Eden Hagos, CEO of BlackFoodie.cohttp://www.tapmagonline.com/black-foodie/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/black-foodie/#respondSun, 26 Feb 2017 19:45:27 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4037What does food and race have to do with each other? Apparently, a lot! According to BlackFoodie.co, food experience is never neutral and one’s culture plays a big role in this. We’ve reached out to Eden Hagos, founder of BlackFoodie.co to find out more. This interview was first published in TAP MAG ISSUE 8 Please introduce yourself [...]

]]>What does food and race have to do with each other? Apparently, a lot! According to BlackFoodie.co, food experience is never neutral and one’s culture plays a big role in this. We’ve reached out to Eden Hagos, founder of BlackFoodie.co to find out more. This interview was first published in TAP MAG ISSUE 8

Please introduce yourself to the TAP audience

Eden Hagos – My name is Eden Hagos, I grew up in a small city in Canada to East African parents. I have an educational background in sociology but decided to pursue a business in the food world instead. I am now the founder of Black Foodie, a platform that celebrates food from a Black perspective in a variety of ways. Regardless of where I am, two things I can’t live without are hot sauce and my passport!

What is BlackFoodie? How did you end up in the food industry and how does your business make money?

Eden Hagos –Black Foodie is an online platform that explores food through a Black lens, celebrating the best of African, Caribbean and Southern cuisine. We create & curate unique content, experiences and products that celebrate food & life from a Black perspective.

I’ve always been interested in food and, of course, I love to eat! My family opened one of the first Ethiopian restaurants in Windsor Ontario and my grandparents previously owned a cafe and spice market back in Asmara, so I grew up surrounded by people who were incredibly talented and passionate about food.

Food can do so many things; it nourishes us and brings us together. It can reveal so much about our history, our people and identity. That said; the way people experience food is never neutral and one’s culture plays a big role in how they experience food.

However, it was a negative experience that I had while dining out in Toronto for my birthday that really got me thinking about food and race more critically. I ended up leaving the restaurant that night, embarrassed, upset and feeling threatened. From there forth, I started deliberating on ways in which Black people experience the food world differently and this forced me to really reflect on my own dining choices. I realized that on the night of my birthday, the thought of celebrating at an African or Caribbean restaurant hadn’t even crossed my mind. From then on, I became more intentional about my dining choices and sought to explore the food world from a uniquely Black lens. I also wanted to connect other folks like me and provide Black Foodies from around the world with a great resource. After several months of traveling and experimenting, Black Foodie was born.

The way Black Foodie makes money is through our events, products and consulting. In our first year we focused on building and cultivating a community. Now that we have established a name and a voice in this area we are looking to expand our products and services and move towards brand partnerships with larger companies.

Speak to us about Race and food and how the two connect/intersect?

Eden Hagos –Food can do so many things; it nourishes us and brings us together. It can reveal so much about our history, our people and identity. That said; the way people experience food is never neutral. And as a Black woman who writes about food, I know this to be especially true. For example, think of the negative stereotypes about black people that influence the way we are served when we go out to eat. Assumptions that: black diners are difficult, that they don’t tip, that they’re disruptive and ultimately unworthy of good service; the list goes on. These perceptions, which are inherently racist, impact the way we experience food. But beyond what we experience on an interpersonal level, racism infiltrates the ways in which food is discussed throughout the media. It influences who’s deemed as industry experts and what foods are “acceptable”.

By creating Black Foodie, I’ve had the opportunity to find out about many positive things happening in this space that popular media ignores- from discovering an amazing Caribbean food festival in Montreal to interviewing a group of innovative African chefs with a supper club in London, UK who created a cookbook to document their journey – there are countless resilient people influencing the food world.

Injera and Chill was a pop up event series that Black Foodie hosted in Toronto, Atlanta, and London, UK that celebrated East African food in a contemporary and fun way. It was designed to create conversation within the diaspora.

Tell us more about Black Foodies Injera + Chill…

Eden Hagos –Injera and Chill was a pop up event series that Black Foodie hosted in Toronto, Atlanta, and London, UK that celebrated East African food in a contemporary and fun way. It was designed to create conversation within the diaspora. I noticed that people who weren’t from the community were leading many of the conversations about East African food. But I was interested in knowing what the conversation was amongst us: Almost every young East African in the room could relate to the inside jokes we shared about growing up and leaving the home smelling like Ethiopian spices, which are amazing, but do have a strong smell. There were also people who weren’t East African but had their own interesting stories about Ethiopian food. The event series grew and we expanded it to not only celebrate East African food but also other entrepreneurs and creatives who were creating films, products and businesses that serviced our community.

Black Foodie – Image by Tai Bah

What is your long-term vision for BlackFoodie? Where do you see the business in 5 years?

Eden Hagos –The long-term vision for Black Foodie is to empower Black food lovers around the world and connect this community over exciting content, events and products that educate, entertain and inspire. In 5 years I hope to see foods from the African diaspora at the forefront of the culinary world. My plan is to expand the platform to be the premiere resource for Black food culture: a channel that empowers the people creating these amazing foods. In the foreseeable future, Black Foodie will host the leading festival/ event to celebrate Black chefs and food from the diaspora, offer culinary tourism trips, publish a series of cookbooks and produce several onscreen and web series content that show our food from our own perspective. The future is truly exciting.

What is the state of African cuisine in general?

Eden Hagos –There is so much diversity in our foods, so it’s difficult to answer this question. I’ve definitely seen a wave of chefs, bloggers, food entrepreneurs and restaurateurs who are putting their own spin on things when it comes to African food. They are presenting it in new ways, discovering their culinary heritage and celebrating African foods every step of the way. I think that this is a growing industry, people are hungry for more and this movement towards African foods will continue to grow. We have so much flavour, we’ve got super foods, and we’ve got it all.

Who are some of the African culinary heads that we should check out?

Eden Hagos –There are several amazing African chefs and food entrepreneurs in the diaspora who are creating amazing foods. In the US, Nigerian food creative, Tunde Wey weaves food into important conversations on Blackness through his traveling Supper club From Lagos. Essie, a Ghanaian American is also bringing in West African flavours to the masses with her unique spice company EssieSpice. In the UK, three young African creatives have came together to create a unique and eclectic African dining experience called the Groundnut. The pair later created a beautiful cookbook named after their supper club that tells their story and shares essential African inspired recipes. In Canada, Somali Chef Bashir is bringing African food to the forefront with his Nomadic dinner series. Through Black Foodie I’ve interacted with each of these change makers and had the privilege of trying their products or experiencing their events. All of which were amazing and I encourage everyone to check them out!

What sort of feedback have you received thus far?

Eden Hagos –I’ve received quite positive feedback, when people in the diaspora see their foods celebrated and pictured in a beautiful way they love it. When we post about our collaborative event Jollof Wars or Injera and Chill- best believe, Africans and African food lovers react! People from the diaspora all over the world want to take part. I think that this is mainly because our voices and foods have been ignored from mainstream for so long that when Black Foodie began to connect our community to new chefs, restaurants, ingredients and stories from the diaspora people got excited! And it was about time.

What inspires you to keep going and what should we expect next fromBlackFoodie?

Eden Hagos –The desire to see our voices and flavors represented is what keeps me going. I grew up on amazing African food and I have a passion to tell the stories of the resilient culinary ambassadors across our diaspora. What’s next for Black Foodie is taking our stories into video content and producing high quality content that engages our audience. Imagine if the Food network actually featured food/travel shows with Black leads talking about African, Caribbean and southern cuisine? Wouldn’t that be amazing? We certainly think so and that’s why were creating it for ourselves!

How can our readers reach you?

Eden Hagos –TAP readers can find us online. Follow us at blackfoodie.co on Instagram and head over to our site blackfoodie.co to subscribe to our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you!

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/black-foodie/feed/04037Experience the Accra Nightlife | Tap Magazinehttp://www.tapmagonline.com/accra-nightlife/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/accra-nightlife/#respondSat, 18 Feb 2017 15:14:32 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4021Accra is Africa’s favourite city, and it’s not for nothing. Accra’s air, around Osu, Airport, Labadi, Jamestown, is not only refreshing to breathe in, but can actually be tasted. Coloured daily by a golden sun and twinkling stars, bubbly art, ubiquitous music, and a well-known culture of superior hospitality, Accra city (especially at night) is [...]

]]>Accra is Africa’s favourite city, and it’s not for nothing. Accra’s air, around Osu, Airport, Labadi, Jamestown, is not only refreshing to breathe in, but can actually be tasted. Coloured daily by a golden sun and twinkling stars, bubbly art, ubiquitous music, and a well-known culture of superior hospitality, Accra city (especially at night) is a natural destination for many pleasures. This article was initially published in TAP MAG issue 8

Founded in 1898, Accra (Ghana’s capital), like Mumbai, Nairobi, New York, or Durban, is very much a palimpsest too, rebuilt by many histories: migration, war, colonialism, and constant modernization. The African model it has become since independence, the city holds on just as firmly to a quaint architecture as it embraces new buildings which rise to meet the sky.

So, where do you go to properly encounter Accra’s famous nightlife? Everywhere; the city knows not sleep, and every street leads to happiness. Remember these two suburbs: Osu and Tema –these really command the Accra nightlife.

There’s trotro (public buses) for every destination; there are okadas (motorcycles), and taxis (drivers of these vehicles particularly, regularly undergo training on receiving tourists under the auspices of the sector ministry).

Accra’s beaches

Accra’s beaches are numerous, because the Atlantic Ocean covers the entire length of the city. The La Pleasure Beach, fifteen minutes from key monuments as the National Museum and Osu Castle, hosts outdoor events every other night: you literally walk out of the sea into a party. During the day, it’s quiet and peaceful, so you can read, take a stroll, observe the art showcases, or just lay back and take in the dazzling blue of the noon sky (the night sky is just as breath-taking, mind you). Or, you could visit Tawala (also in Labadi), Kokrobite, or Bojo (both located on the south coast).

There’s +233 Jazz Bar & Grill (Ring Road Central), which plays live band music six times a week, aside delicious hotdogs, kebabs, chicken, and pork chops. Perfect for both an adult crowd and a low budget.

Accra’s night clubs

There’s the AM & PM Sports Bar, located in the plush Villagio Apartments (North Airport) — café by day, sports bar at night. Quite the upscale joint, their All Star Burger, and signature cocktails have been responsible for many indelible experiences.

There’s the Champs Bar (Ringway CI), which, like Epo’s, Republic, Khona (all in Osu), and the Django Bar (founded by top Ghanaian rap icon Reggie Rockstone), suits the younger crowd. GHC 40 (roughly $15) covers all you could possibly drink throughout the open-bar Saturday nights. While this is the highlight, there’s something happening every night, from Karaoke sessions to 90s dress up parties.

At the same time, do well to pass by our famous blue kiosks (local bars) located virtually off every street, which serve native brews and gins; Pitoo, Akpeteshie, Brukutu, and palm wine.

Like everywhere else, but especially for Accra, music is integral to the nightlife. Ghana is pioneer of key sounds to emerge from the continent (most prominently highlife, and the Afrobeats sub-genre Azonto). That is where the many, many nightclubs come in: Kristal (Osu), Twist (Labone), Onyx, Django (Cantonments), Bedouin Lounge (East Lagon), Monte Carlo (Tema), Belaroma (Tema), Plot 7 (Labone)…This is where the new street sounds are experimented, and the dance floors come to life, and beers and Whiskeys touch the spirits.

The Osu Oxford Street (3 kilometres east of the central business district) is perhaps the most prominent of all of Accra’s roads, therefore a must-visit. Its repute is ultimately due to how well it typifies the wider picture of the city- a melting point for endless diversity. Stretching from the Dankwah Circle (named after one of our founding heroes) to the Osu Presby Church, it is alive with everything: bright lights, food joints and bars, casinos, indigenous clothing and artefacts, the Oxford Street Mall, and happy people.

A lot else happens on the streets of Accra, like the annual Chale Wote Street Arts Festival; perhaps the biggest assembly point for art, music, dance and performance on the continent. There’s Check-Check (fast food joints serving mainly fried rice and chicken, or noodles), chop bars (local restaurants where you can sample indigenous cuisine like Banku, Fufu, and Kenkey), and hawkers who know your specific needs just by looking at you.

Otherwise, you could visit any of the several malls springing up: Accra, Marina, West Hills, Osu, ANC, Junction Mall, which meet your every need from shopping, to food, to entertainment.

Accra’s hospitality is top-notch, and it is witnessed just as much in lodging spaces. There’s decent accommodation for low earner to high class. You should check out the Holiday Inn, situated in the very heart of Airport City. It gives you panoramic views of the Kotoka International Airport and surrounding areas. It is fitted with a large pool, a cocktail bar, two restaurants, a business centre, many freebies including breakfast and shuttle service. Close-by is the striking Ibis Styles Hotel, also high-end but worth every cedi. It stands out in both architecture and colour. Other sought after hotels in the capital include Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra City Hotel (both on the Independence Avenue), Fiesta Royal Hotel (Dzorwulu), Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel (Gamel Abdul Nasser Rd.), Golden Tulip ((Liberation Rd), Urbano Hotel (Osu) and Alisa Hotel (North Ridge).

Accra is Africa’s favourite city, and it’s not for nothing. Welcome! This article was initially published in TAP MAG issue 8

Gabriel Myers Hansen is an entertainment writer from Ghana. He’s an editor for enewsgh.com and contributor for musicinafrica.com. Follow him @myershansen on Twitter. Images by Swag of Africa

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/accra-nightlife/feed/04021African Design Centre opens in Kigalihttp://www.tapmagonline.com/african-design-centre-opens-kigali/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/african-design-centre-opens-kigali/#respondSun, 12 Feb 2017 15:40:18 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=4012African Design Centre; “Bauhaus of Africa” is a new educational program that seeks to address the current dearth of professional designers across the continent. ADC, which opened its doors in Kigali this past fall, aims to be a fellowship-based hub of creativity, innovation and education that will be integral in building the houses, schools and health [...]

]]>African Design Centre; “Bauhaus of Africa” is a new educational program that seeks to address the current dearth of professional designers across the continent. ADC, which opened its doors in Kigali this past fall, aims to be a fellowship-based hub of creativity, innovation and education that will be integral in building the houses, schools and health care clinics needed to preserve the integrity of African cities as its population grows.

It almost goes without saying that Africa is an ever-changing, ever-growing place. However, according to a 2013 report published by United Nations Development Programme in conjunction with UNESCO, Africa is due to see globally unprecedented population growth and urbanization in the next several decades. The same report cites that by the year 2030, more than half of Africa’s population will be urban residents. This, in combination with a population that is expected to grow to include as many as 1.2 billion people by 2050, means that current and future generations of African architects, designers and engineers will have to devise creative strategies to cope with the shifting needs that such a population boom will create.

African Design Centre, which opened its doors in Kigali this past fall, aims to be a fellowship-based hub of creativity, innovation and education that will be integral in building the houses, schools and health care clinics needed to preserve the integrity of African cities as the population grows.

When one looks into the facts, the need for African Design Centre becomes even more obvious. For instance, Christian Benimana, the Rwandan-born architect who is leading the implementation of the ADC notes that, to date, the relatively tiny European nation of Italy has four times more licensed designers than the entirety of Africa. Facts like this illustrate the rather massive dearth of homegrown training and education that exists on the continent in the fields most relevant to the building of infrastructure. The existence of African Design Centre hopes to tackle this: to mold the next generation of architects and designers whose perspectives and skills can bridge these pre-existing gaps.

African Design Centre is the “Bauhaus of Africa”

The Centre is being built under the stewardship of MASS Design Group, a leading, impact-driven, human-centred design firm with offices in the United States and connections to Rwanda. The approach outlined by the African Design Centre is multi-dimensional, but its primary aim is to create sustainable, project-based educational opportunities for young Africans with degrees in such fields as Urbanism, Landscape Architecture, Industrial Design, and Engineering, among others. Fellows and apprentices of Africa Design Centre will be trained in impact-driven, mission-based architectural approaches, through the design of much-needed houses, schools and hospitals.

In every way, ADC’s approach to training and educating young creative Africans prioritizes the ability of architecture and design to participate in the health, well-being and overall dignity of communities. However, the thinkers behind ADC also realize that in order for architecture and design to have their maximum positive impact, students of the Centre will need to be trained to embrace the multi-disciplinary nature of the tasks at hand. Broadly speaking, this multi-pronged pedagogical approach might be referred to as Design-Build Education. This model will involve site and context analysis, construction, design and evaluation in order to give ADC Fellows a true sense of how many modes of study and examination must be brought together in order for any architectural project to truly and appropriately serve the public good.

For instance, ADC Fellows will play an important role in the construction of schools in Musanze, Rwanda. Following from African Design Centre’s commitment to human-centred design approaches, special consideration will be given to making these schools child-friendly, safe, and ultimately, conducive to learning.

Within the next decade, African Design Centre aims to positively transform the continent, as the encroaching demands of the population boom will require great investment in infrastructure and human capital; ADC will achieve maximum positive impact, it hopes, by offering to its students comprehensive training which emphasizes the virtues of hands-on experience, interdisciplinary education and research in techniques, materials and elements of craft that can lead to design innovations. In these ways, African Design Centre will change the landscape of architectural and design education, and in so doing, help to build a better future for the entire continent.

In fact, each project the ADC and its Fellows carry out will have a clear mission: a simple, legible, transmissible idea that speaks to a greater societal goal. By creating poignant, clear, localized and context-specific objectives for every one of its projects, African Design Centre hopes it will play a necessary part in helping Africa adapt swiftly and skillfully to the complexities of exponential population growth and urbanization.

]]>http://www.tapmagonline.com/african-design-centre-opens-kigali/feed/04012Enheed – Connecting Ethiopian-Canadian youths with their homelandhttp://www.tapmagonline.com/enheed/
http://www.tapmagonline.com/enheed/#respondMon, 30 Jan 2017 02:21:05 +0000http://www.tapmagonline.com/?p=3995Enheed is an organization that bridges gaps between Ethiopia and generations of its diaspora youth living in Canada, and throughout the world. Enheed is the Amharic phrase for “let’s go”. Initially published in Tap Magazine Issue 8 At one time in my life, the distance between Ethiopia and myself was not something only to be [...]

]]>Enheed is an organization that bridges gaps between Ethiopia and generations of its diaspora youth living in Canada, and throughout the world. Enheed is the Amharic phrase for “let’s go”. Initially published in Tap Magazine Issue 8

At one time in my life, the distance between Ethiopia and myself was not something only to be measured in distance. It was something I could measure in the form of the longing I felt from oceans away. To heal that longing, to cure the wound of that distance, was as simple as saying ‘Enheed, let’s go!’. My life has not been the same since.

Ethiopian Canadian

I was born in Ethiopia and raised in Toronto, Canada. In many ways–more ways than I can easily describe–as a child I lived in this duality. I felt myself between homeland and homeland. One, in the language, flavours and sounds of Ethiopia, which I felt inside my parent’s’ house every day, and another land, which was also a sort of home–outside of my parents’ house, where the world demanded that I be a Canadian and navigate its cold weather, its English language, and its expansiveness. I, like many people of my generation, was (and am), a child of diaspora, a person forced to live between the sense of myself as an Ethiopian–as I undeniably was inside my home – and the sense of myself as a Canadian, as I was asked to be in every other space, particularly as a child.

I want young Ethiopian-Canadians to learn, as I learned, that it is often not enough to inherit stories from our elders about our ancestral homelands; we benefit so greatly from visiting these places, living in them, breathing the air of these profound lands. We can create our own ties to our ancestors and find a sense of how we might contribute to the growth and beauty of a country whose legacies we already carry in our blood.

As I got a little older, I was able to begin assessing the dynamics of the city in which I lived. I could see it with a more acute, mature eye. In some ways, its gaps widened for me; I understood that I was even further away from a real sense of Ethiopia, and a sense of myself than I ever realized as a child. I recognized that despite the fact that my family and I belonged to a meaningful community of Ethiopian-Canadians, there were nuances and dynamics that kept me from seeing the full and diverse ways Ethiopians lived and thought, even within Canada. It was alarming to understand, for instance, that growing up, I did not ever come to know any Muslim Ethiopians, despite the fact that almost half of the people in Ethiopia are Muslims. This fact, this somewhat limited exposure I had to Ethiopians as a child, proved to me, as a young adult, that we are often products of what we can see or the experiences that are close enough for us to touch. As I grew, I wanted to expand my vision and test the limits of my reach in the world.

Years later, the same impulse took me to South America. I lived and worked in Bolivia, a country of rich history, profound landscapes and equally profound people. The experience of living there and immersing myself in its cultures and communities changed the trajectory of my life. Also, below the surface, it filled me with longing and a strange but precise sense of guilt. I had to ask myself: why is it that I’m able to revel in the beauty of Bolivia, rejoice in the warmth and compassion of its people, and even learn one of its languages, but I have never re-visited my own culture, my own language, my own ancestral homeland of Ethiopia?

‘Enheed. Let’s go!’

As soon as my time in Bolivia ended, I devoted myself to resolving the guilt and mysterious sadness that had hit me in the pit of my stomach. I needed to find a way to get home to Ethiopia and reconnect with my roots. At first, I began to look for organizations I could volunteer with that would take me to Ethiopia. I found that there were none particularly aimed at engaging youth like myself. The pull and the intrinsic drive to get to Ethiopia was still strong. I signed up to volunteer with an organization that was local to Ethiopia.

I bought a one-way ticket and embarked on a journey that would take me home, mostly alone, without much of a safety net to hold me. I lived and worked in Ethiopia for four months. In that time, I was able to see much of the country. Of course, I was struck by the natural beauty of the land itself, but it was the historical sites, the ancient landmarks of my people and culture that moved me emotionally and gave me an enduring, personal relationship to the land, its people, their struggles and their histories. I felt a joy and an immense pride that I knew would alter the course of my life forever, and which I knew I had to share with others if I could.

In these moments, I decided I would devote my time and energy to creating a way, a portal, a vessel that would connect other people of my generation to the remarkable feeling of calm and belonging that overtakes the body when the tug of history calls your name, and you respond. From the indescribable spirit of moments like these, the idea for Enheed was born.

The direct and profound meaning held within this word, this phrase is the catalyst for our desire to create a safe space for Ethiopian-Canadians to reconnect with their heritage. Beyond that, we want Enheed to be an experience that allows young Ethiopians in the diaspora to express their ideas and strengthen the common bonds that bring Ethiopian communities together.

We work to promote the consciousness and positive values that lay at the core of Ethiopian life and culture. Enheed aspires to educate through experience, thus, we ask participants to work with local NGOs and immerse themselves in the local communities of everyday people who give the country its life, spirit, and character. In this way, young Ethiopian-Canadians can gain a visceral sense of their relationship to Ethiopia; they can feel the place for themselves and develop emotional bonds built from that experience. For its participants, Enheed is not a vacation. It is a month-long experience where youth come together to learn and contribute.

Ultimately, my vision for Enheed is that it creates for its young participants an introduction to Ethiopia that is meaningful, eye opening and indelible. I understand that for many of the people who join our program, it is their first time being in Ethiopia without the comfort and security of their parents. In that way, too, I want Enheed to be a catalyst for them. It should create a spark in them that says: ‘I can come back here on my own terms and stay longer than a month’.

Furthermore, there is room in Ethiopia for my skills, education and contributions, even if these skills are coming from as far away as Canada. I want our program to be a bridge-builder that lets these young people know that there is a place for them in Ethiopia, irrespective of where they were born or raised.

I want young Ethiopian-Canadians to learn, as I learned, that it is often not enough to inherit stories from our elders about our ancestral homelands; we benefit so greatly from visiting these places, living in them, breathing the air of these profound lands. We can create our own ties to our ancestors and find a sense of how we might contribute to the growth and beauty of a country whose legacies we already carry in our blood.

Enheed Partners

Enheed is proud to have partners like Ethiopian Airlines, Cuso International, and African Unity 6th Region Canada working with us. We look to partner with organizations that are heavily engaged in helping to resolve issues for people in the African diaspora. Anyone who is interested in partnering with Enheed can contact info@enheed.org.

By Fana Mekonen

Fana is the founder of Enheed, an organization that bridges gaps between Ethiopia and generations of its diaspora youth living in Canada, and throughout the world. Enheed is the Amharic phrase for “let’s go”. For Fana, Enheed is not just an organization, but also a reminder that it is possible, and often necessary, to take action in pursuit of one’s dreams. For more on Enheed, visit the portal at www.Enheed.org